Something that I can't fix
by procrastinationatitsfinnest
Summary: After the end of the war and the battle with Sasuke, Naruto expected his life to finally go back on track and that everything would be as good as he expected to be. But not everything is as good as expected, and there are things that not even him can fix. NaruSasu, Canon Universe, M to be safe
1. Prologue

_**A/N** : so... I know that lots and more lots of fics like this, with alternative continuations for the 698/699, were made, and that most of them are really fucking great, but I really wanted to contribute. Mainly because I had an idea that I didn't see in any other fics. Also, I want to apoligize already for my bad english and poor choice of words. English isn't my first language and I didn't get a beta reader - tho I'd like one - so if you notice any kind of mistake, tell me, I won't be offended or anything. I already posted more 4 chapters on a portuguese 'fanfic-posting' website called 'Fanfic Spirit', with the name 'Oshiko', so if you saw this there, it's not plagiarism, ok?_

 _What I pretend with this story is rewrite the ending, turning it into something that would be better to me. But guess; I don't only have a problem with the pairings, I have a problem with pretty much everything, so pretty much everything will have to be changed. I'll try my best to keep characters IC, but I want to develop the girls in some ways and want some other characters to mature and change views in some other ways, so that'll be kind of inevitable. The drama here won't be 'oh, my, Sakura put an aphrodisiac at Sasuke's food and seduced him, making him cheat on Naruto (?)' or anything similar. It's more like, decisions, consequences, torture, deaths. You know, this kind of stuff._

 _Anyways, I hope you enjoy this first chapter, I guess it gives an idea how will the story progress. I little bit. Not much. Actually, it gives you 0 ideas of how will progress, since I got some plot twists and stuff like this. Well, either way, enjoy!_

* * *

 _Prologue_

When Naruto woke up, he couldn't say how many days had passed. He didn't feel much pain, thought he could see bandages all over his body and had a missing arm. The memories from the last battle he had with Sasuke came to mind, and he recorded passing out due his lack of chakra after undoing the Eternal Tsukuyomi. Looking at the bandages on what lasted from his right arm, Naruto felt like he should have felt angry or annoyed, freaked out at least, but really, he couldn't care less. _Sasuke was with him_.

"Sakura-san, Naruto-san woke up" a nurse Naruto hadn't notice was there spoke through an intercom. "I have to do some check-ups with you. Please, cooperate." She said, a professional smile on her face.

After some minutes of exams, Sakura arrived slamming the door. She ran and gave Naruto a tight hug, while crying in his shoulder. The nurse blushed and got out the room, muttering something about 'continuing the exams later'.

"Naruto, you asshole! Do you have any idea how worried you made me?! How worried were all of us?!" Sakura exclaimed, squeezing the blond even more in her hug. "Spend 6 months unconscious is unacceptable, Naruto, unacceptable!"

"Ugh! I'm sorry, Sakura-chan, sorry! But can you release me, please? I can't breath!" Naruto asked, placing a hand on her shoulder while she broke the hug, drying the tears rolling on her cheeks.

"Stupid, fool, idiot..." Sakura hiccuped. "Tsunade-sama and I were almost losing our hope. You didn't wake up, didn't react, no matter what we did… I really thought I was going to loose you, Naruto.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan! I'm not gonna leave you and everyone else so easily!" Naruto grinned at her, making her smile. "And certainly not now that everything is solved! Kaguya was sealed, the war is over, so is Akatsuki, and Sasuke… Sasuke is back… After all this time, we're finally together, the old team 7!

Sakura's small smile died and she looked away. Her expression changed from relieve to worry, and she only stared at the floor in response, like it was the most interesting thing in the world. Naruto didn't ignore the change.

"Sakura-chan? What's wrong?" The blond went pale. "Sasuke's okay, isn't he? Please, Sakura-chan, tell me he's okay!"

"He… His punishment for betraying Konoha's still undecided. The Council…" She stopped, grimaced. "Let's not talk about this now, you just woke up. It's reason to celebrate!"

"Not if Sasuke end up being killed! Tsunade-baa-chan won't let it happen, will she?" Naruto snapped, gritting his teeth.

"Tsunade-sama is doing what she can, and, for now, Naruto, all you can do is hope for the best. If you interrupt the Council during the decision…

"They're deciding Sasuke's punishment right now?!" Naruto shouted, and, without wait for an answer, got off the bed he was in, only not falling hard on the floor because Sakura caugh him before it could happen.

"Calm down! I know how it's appealing go there and tell them that Sasuke-kun must go unpunished, but if we do this, we'll probably not help and maybe even make the situation for him worse!" Sakura explained, forcing Naruto back to the bed. "We need to trust Tsunade-sama about this, yeah?"

Naruto gritted his teeth again. He didn't want to stay there, still, waiting for everything to go right. If the Council decided death penalty, he wouldn't know what to do. Maybe he'd have to rescue Sasuke in the last second and run away from the village. Thought he didn't like to admit it, Sakura was right about this. And Tsunade would probably make the best of the situation, as long as she didn't bet on anything.

"And Sasuke is…?" The blond asked, his voice very weak, staring at Sakura's green eyes.

"In his room, resting, just like you should be. He still didn't wake up but… He's receiving the right treatment. Will you calm down now?"

Naruto hesitantly nodded, relaxing a little bit in the bed. Sakura moved away and pulled a chair to sit on. She took some seconds of thoughts, before her serious expression broke in a smile.

"You became the World's Savior, do you know that? The hospital had trouble keeping people away from this room while you were unconscious. Everyone claims you as a hero, and I bet that, now that you're awake, you'll be welcomed back with a really huge party. Wait until the news spread, and there will be people fighting to bring the cake."

Naruto laughed lightly. It was funny to think how things turned out. Before he was seen as a demon, unwanted, child. Now, he was the hero of the world. He wouldn't complain, but it was still strange.

"Me, Tsunade-sama and Shizune-san are searching about Hashirama's cells. We want to see if we can get you a new, completely functional arm. It'd be hard to be a ninja without being able to make seals." Sakura laughed.

"Unless I went to missions with Sasuke, then we could do the seals together, or something like this." Naruto commented, then blushed a bit when noticed that it sounded like a romantic movie quote. Sakura laughed a bit more.

"It'd be funny!" She placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. "I still have some patients to take care of, a lot of shinobi were hurt in the war, the hospital is a real mess right now. Do not force yourself too much, or get off the bed until me or Tsunade-sama come and give you a special complete check-up on you. If you get out, I guarantee you that you'll spend three more mouths in this bed."

"Yes, mum!" Naruto answered, noticing the subtle threat in Sakura's warning.

The rest of the afternoon, many people came visit him. From friends, to people he never ever talked to. Sakura really didn't waste time to spread the news. Soon after the sunset and the end of the visiting time, Tsunade entered Naruto's room, with a serious expression.

"Tsunade-baa-chan? Sakura-chan told me about the reunion… How was it? What was the decision?" Naruto quickly asked, not wanting to waste time.

"The condition of the Uchiha boy is worse than I expected. I tried to avoid this meeting as much as I could until you and him woke up, but I couldn't." She sighed. "Ironically, in the last second, you both woke up."

"Eh? Is Sasuke okay?!" Naruto moved toward the Hogake.

"He's… Alive. But not much stable. I just want to make it clear that I did all I could to make the situation for him better, but I can't take decisions alone, all the council needs to agree."

"So..." Naruto pressed.

"So Sasuke won't be killed" The blond smiled in relieve, and Tsunade continued. "But there are conditions. He won't ever again be accepted as a ninja, in any country allied to Konoha. His chakra will be drained or sealed, depending on what he chooses, and he won't be allowed to live alone, and if insists, will be watched by ANBU 24h.

"W-What?! Tsunade-baa-chan! This is too much! There's no need for all these conditions!" Naruto protested.

"There's still more: any suspicion of conspiracy or treason, and will be interrogated by Ibiki, confirmation, and he'll die. The Uchiha will receive PTSD treatment at the hospital, as well as he'll have his injures treated.

"But Tsunade-baa-chan! This is unfair! I won't let..."

"Naruto." Tsunade interrupted. "The counselors were considerably kind, and I already pushed them too much. The simple fact that Sasuke will continue alive already displeases the Raikage, and leave him unpunished would be an insult to him, the other kages and all the village of Konoha. Sasuke's lucky that Konoha has consideration and a different treatment toward those who are mentally ill.

"M-Mentally ill? What are you talking about, Sasuke isn't ill!" Naruto screamed, not believing.

"Yes, he is, Naruto. He saw his whole clan be killed by his own brothers, Hiruzen didn't care enough, or didn't think about, giving him any treatment, and no one cared about taking care of him as a child. After that, he tried to murder his best friend to get stronger, ran into the hands of a rank-S criminal, spent 4 with exclusive contact with a mad man and his follower, and God knows what else Orochimaru did to the boy through these years."

"But Sasuke is recovered… He's okay!"

"Stop looking only what you want to and accept the reality, idiot." Tsunade demanded, crossing her arms. "Not only that, but he also killed his own brother and after turned against the village where were his last friends. I don't know what made him attack us, but it's clear he's very easily manipulable. And very powerful. Anything could make him destroy the village from one second to other.

"No, I wouldn't let him!" Naruto snapped, sitting at the edge of the bed.

"Naruto, there's nothing I can do to improve you friend's situation, and, honestly, I doubt Kakashi, Sakura or even you can do anything to help him. I'm satisfied enough with how the things went. If you want to complain, then defend your points with facts and valid arguments, not with the emotion of your heart." Tsunade put a finger on Naruto's left breastplate. "And if you consider him a friend, you'll stay by his side even if he's mentally ill or extremely problematic. I know this, Naruto, this is just the kind of person you are."

Naruto said nothing else, only squeezed his bed's cover with his only hand. Of course, he knew Sasuke was someone full of problems, emotions and confusion, but he never really thought he could be mentally ill. He simply thought Sasuke was Sasuke, and that was all, enough for motivate him to never give up on the brunette. What if he never recovered? Would Naruto abandon him? _No, no way in hell._

It was probably the best to accept the decision of Tsunade and the Council.

"Can I at least see him?" Naruto asked quietly. Tsunade hesitated, narrowed her eyes and took some time to think before answering:

"Wait five days, then Sasuke will probably be stabilized and it'll be safe for you to see him."

Naruto didn't know what she wanted to say by 'stable', but he had the light impression he wouldn't like to know that yet. Tsunade soon left the room, and the nurse came in to finish the exams with Naruto.

* * *

 ** _A/N:_** _not much, but enough for a prologue, I guess. If you have anything you'd like to comment, feel free :) I'll probably post other chapter in the next days._


	2. Start I

_**A/N** : so... I'm back! Sorry I took so long, simply translating. I was trying to write the chapter 6/5 too, but.. Autor block. Thank you, everyone who left feedback and favorited/followed this story. Hope you enjoy this chapter ^w^!  
_

* * *

 _Chapter 1_

The days after leaving the hospital were like a little paradise to Naruto. Everyone had treated him well since he defended Konoha from Pain's attack, but not at that level. Random people smiled and gave him presents, mothers and fathers who walked with their children pointed at him and called him a hero, Genins stopped him to get autographs. He got to get free stuff with the perk of being a hero. There was a good party in the little apartment of the blond in his honor.

"To the future Hokage of Konoha!" Kiba toasted, raising a glass of sake, and all the friends of Naruto, who were celebrating Naruto's recovery, repeated the speech.

"That Naruto finally gets a girlfriend and has some romantic life for us to gossip about!" Ino screamed, making everyone laugh at that possibility, including Naruto himself.

His friends played and toast the victory in the war while telling Naruto not to be too arrogant with all the flattery he was getting. That night, countless people that Naruto had no idea who they were showed up at his house thanking him for saving the world. Basically the whole village bought him presents, and his small, simple apartment was filled with the quantity.

The next morning, Naruto woke up with a heavy hangover, and fortunately found on the table a glass capped with a plastic film and aspirin next to it, along with a message, apparently from Sakura, telling him to drink plenty of water and prepare to find her in the hospital. Probably to see Sasuke. Naruto drank the water and took the aspirin, and then stood up to take a shower and get rid of the smell of alcohol soaked in his body.

In 20 minutes, he finished and went to do the rest of his morning hygiene. Putting on his orange and black jacket and his bandana, he walked to the hospital, hoping Sakura was already there. Fortunately, she was. He ran back and forth in his ninja-medical jacket, apparently giving order to nurses, and only noticed Naruto when he called her.

"Oh, Naruto! Already free of the hangover, or not?" Sakura asked, putting a pink hair behind her ear.

"Completely free, Sakura-chan! Aspirin, a good shower, and, uh, Kurama, helped a lot!" Naruto replied with a smile. "We're going to see Sasuke, aren't we?"

"Yes, behave yourself." Sakura spoke with a faint smile, and began to guide him by the corridors of the hospital until arrive at the destination.

Naruto had noticed immediately which room Sasuke was in, it could not be more obvious; Two ANBUs were standing erect, guarding the room, and there was a long, complicated seal on the door, probably to prevent Sasuke from escaping. How could they think Sasuke was so dangerous to the point where all that security was needed? It was insulting. Before Naruto could get in, Sakura stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Naruto, you have to promise to behave yourself. don't yell, don't freak out, don't go too close, or make too many sudden movements." Sakura asked, with a serious tone.

"I know that, Sakura-chan!" Naruto grumbled, opening the door gently as he stared at Sakura, as if to say, _'See, I can be gentle if I want to'._

When Naruto turned to look into the room, he froze. There were six more ANBUs standing in a circle around a hospital bed, and from the bed itself to ANBUs feet there was the longest seal Naruto had ever seen. Sasuke, lying in the hospital bed, had a pained expression, clenched teeth and eyes covered by a bandage, while his fist clenched the sheets of his bed.

"Sakura-chan, that's an over reaction..." he murmured, not taking his eyes off Sasuke. "That's too much... Why so many seals, ANBUs and ... Why those bandages?"

"Sasuke remains very dangerous even without an arm, you know? Unlike you, he had a tendency to rely on the chakra and sword to fight, so there is not much difference. The seals are to contain the chakra, and, well, with the amount he has, doing that is a bit painful."

'A little painful', Sakura said, but Sasuke didn't seem to share the same opinion. He was sweating and grunting softly, something that Naruto had never seen happen. Naruto turned to Sakura, shocked that she let him do such a thing with his teammate. She didn't look back at him. Instead, he kept his eyes on the dark-haired man with a sore expression.

"His eyes remain dangerous, and if Tsunade-sama hadn't offered the option of covering them with banners, they would have to tear them out." Sakura closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"Sakura-chan, that ..." Naruto pointed at Sasuke. "It's crazy! Sasuke doesn't pose any danger! He is my friend! Our friend!"

"Naruto, I don't know if you get it, but Sasuke is the most powerful ninja on Earth, along with you." Sakura turned her green eyes to her blond friend. "When he planned that revolution, he wanted to destroy all Konoha, only to rebuild in the way he wanted. People tend to find that someone who takes such extreme measures are crazy, and madness with power is not a good combination."

Naruto wanted to scream at Sakura and tell her that the only fools there were her, the ANBUs and counselors, for doing so much cruelty to someone who, out of free will, had saved the world, but he knew that if he did that, he would eventually be kicked out. He didn't want to miss a chance to talk to Sasuke. Then, instead of screaming and complaining, he turned to his old friend and took small steps toward him. Sakura didn't stop him, and just stood in front of the door, watching him.

"Sasuke?" He called softly as he reached the side of the bed. The grunts stopped momentarily, and Naruto took the time to better analyze his friend.

His black hair was a bit oily, and Sasuke was sweating so much he seemed to have run three marathons in a row, but his cheeks were not flushed with physical effort. His breathing was odd and accelerated, but Sasuke's effort to regularize and normalize it was visible. He was thinner than Naruto remembered, but still, there was still the aura of power that he always emanated.

"Naruto?" Sasuke asked, his voice low and dry, as if he had not been drinking water for centuries. His expression hardened gradually.

"Yeah. You... Are you okay?" Naruto wanted to slap his own stupidity. It was obvious that he was not well, it was visible and audible. Sasuke didn't respond, nor did he give one of those arrogant smiles he always gave.

"I ... I didn't know something like this would happen." Naruto continued. "They're overreacting, everyone. I know you pose no threat ... "Sasuke's expression managed to harden even more. "To Konoha or to no one. Not after that fight."

Sasuke remained silent, letting Naruto speak his thoughts.

"No way, I'm going to leave it like this, okay? I'm going to talk to Tsunade-baa-chan, the council, whoever, and I'm going to fix your situation, I will not leave you like this." Naruto stared at Sasuke for a few minutes before being answered.

"Give me the death sentence."

Naruto froze, not believing in his own ears. He turned to Sakura, who, standing in front of the door, looked sadder rather than shocked by the words of her teammate. Turning back to his friend, Naruto tried to understand what else he might have meant by that. He _certainly_ was not asking to die. Sasuke was not that kind of person, he would never simply ask to be killed.

"Sasuke ... What do you mean?" Naruto asked, feeling a mixture of shock, confusion and indignation. The brunet clenched his teeth.

"I mean, _kill me_ already. Are you so stupid that you can't even understand what I say?" He answered, making the obvious even more clear.

"I don't believe that! Sasuke, what the hell?!" Naruto shouted, and clapped a fist on the bed, alarmed the six ANBUs and Sakura. 'Why?! You're finally back, things have finally settled between us, why ... Why do you want to leave it all behind ?! I don't understand you!"

"Naruto, I told you not to do that." Sakura said, keeping a calming tone as she approached cautiously. The blond saw a bitter smile if he forced himself on the face of his best friend.

As fast as Naruto didn't notice, Sasuke pulled at his collar with his remaining arm and lowered it, bringing them both closer together. How the Uchiha knew what position he was in, Naruto didn't even have time to think.

"I have nothing to do," Sasuke whispered in his ear, as if that explained everything.

The next moment the six ANBUs moved and pinned Sasuke against the hospital bed, one of them putting a kunai against his throat, letting a trickle of blood flow. Sakura wasted no time and pulled Naruto away, dragging him out of the room as fast as she could. She closed the door behind her gently and continued to pull Naruto until they reached a safe distance from Sasuke's room.

"You don't listen to me?!" She screamed, turning her furious green eyes to Naruto. "You don't know what could have happened inside, do you? Sasuke-kun is finally stabilized, it took whole days to do this! He could have had another attack, he could have had hallucinations, we would have to dope him and ..."

"Sakura-chan! Wait, you're talking too fast!" Naruto asked, full of confusion. "What do you mean by 'doping him'?!"

"If Sasuke-kun could stay the way he was without any medicine or drug, he wouldn't be at the hospital in the first place." Sakura informed him, still in a harsh, reproachful voice. "He ... He needs a lot of things to stay stable, and we just took a huge risk of destabilizing him."

"You ... Sakura-chan, you talked about ..." Naruto swallowed. "Hallucinations?"

"Hearing and visual." Sakura confirmed. "I don't know how he was during our times of Genin, or during the stage he spent with Orochimaru. I don't know when it started, but overall, the cause is, of course, the massacre of the Uchiha and Itachi. He... Speaks alone, with people who are not there. Every now and then he gets violent and goes into fight mode."

Naruto took some time to digest the information. _Sasuke having hallucinations?_ The idea was simply too new for him. I couldn't imagine him hallucinating; The closest he had ever seen of it when Itachi had put him in genjustu, but no more than that.

"Flashbacks, Naruto. I wouldn't be surprised if he had only a few, but there are many." Sakura continued, sighing.

"And to contain them you ... Dope him?" Naruto asked nervously. Sakura bowed her head.

"We don't have much to do. We give him sedatives and other things, but every once in a while, the outbreaks are very strong and ... We really need to dope him." She bit her lower lip. "Of course, it does not do well at all, but there's nothing else we can do about it. Letting him have the outbreak and approaching it means risking the life of someone, or of several people."

If it was to stay in that condition, it was quite understandable why Sasuke didn't want to live any longer. Naruto probably would not either. He seemed to be suffering all the time, and with his chakra constantly drained, he must also be feeling incredibly weak, adding it with covered eyes and visual and auditory hallucinations... That was hell. _Sakura did not understand that?_ Naruto looked at his colleague. It was visible because of the pain in her eyes, she understood it too.

 _"I have nothing to do"_ Sasuke had said. He didn't have a motivation, or reason, to die? It was because he didn't have any objectives? Or did he want to say something else? He was the kind of person who would never do anything without a reason, and to want death, it would take a lot of reason. So what was left was _"I have no reason to live"._ It was probably what Sasuke was referring to. He had spent his entire life living with vengeance, and now he had nothing left. The thought made Naruto feel nauseous.

"What did Sasuke-kun tell you?" Sakura asked.

"... Nothing important. I'm going to go see Tsunade-baa-chan." Naruto said, turning and walking out of the hospital with short steps. Sakura did not stop him. She probably understood.

"I can not leave Sasuke like that!" Naruto banged his fist on Tsunade's desk, not caring if she would break his only arm for it.

"Do you have any better suggestions, brat? The whole Council is against leaving his chakra free, leaving him without the bands would be the same as asking to tear your eyes out, and with the breakdowns, we need some way to contain him." Tsunade countered, closing her eyes.

"But that's a hell!" Naruto shouted indignantly.

"That's what you chose for him, Naruto." The woman replied, making Naruto's stomach flutter.

"That ... That's not true! I did not want it to be like this! I want Sasuke to be free, free to do whatever he likes and enjoy the life he has, not spend the rest of his days in a miserable hospital bed, suffering and being doped!"

"I understand, but things do not always go the way you want them to. You can not control everything, Naruto." Tsunade spoke, his voice harsh. "Do you have any better solution to keeping Sasuke harmless and alive?"

"I have!" Naruto challenged, standing up, his face completely serious. "He can come and just live with me!"

The woman stared at him for a few seconds before letting out a nasal laugh.

"You're the last person I would have Sasuke live with, Naruto."

"I do not understand why!"

"You sure? Can not you see how easily influenced by the Uchiha?" Tsunade looked like he was enjoying herself. "I would probably do anything to keep him happy and risk it. I doubt you can spend more than a month without trying to take the bandage out of his eyes, just because he asks."

"But! I promise I will not do anything you tell me not to do! I swear! I never go back after my words!" Naruto assured her, trying to stand firm. "Tsunade-baa-chan ... I ... I can not leave Sasuke there. I always wanted to bring him to the village, because this was where I was, I knew he had friends here. I, Sakura-chan, Kakashi-sensei. Leave him there, alone, suffering, being always controlled and manipulated is ..."

"Unacceptable, harrowing, painful, horrible?" Tsunade suggested.

"Hurting me" Naruto finished.

"... Brat, things do not always go the way you want. I think now you understand why Sasuke would rather die than continue like this."

"That's why I want to change that! I want to change his situation! Why is it so complicated?!"

The two blondes faced each other, defiant. Shizune, present throughout the discussion, swallowed. She had seen how Naruto was dedicated to his friend before, and could not expect less reaction from him when he saw him in that state. Tsunade had talked to her about it.

"Naruto-kun, I can try to talk to the council." Shizune offered, catching the attention of both Tsunade and Naruto. "I do not have so much influence when Tsunade-sama, but I understand your point."

"Shizune?" Tsunade raised an eyebrow, waiting for the complete proposal of her 'secretary'.

"We could make smaller seals, sealing papers, and leave them on Sasuke-kun to control his chakra. The bandages continue, secured by another seal to prevent him from taking them." Shinuze explained calmly. "With Naruto-kun and Sakura-san, I think his breakdowns can be ... Stabilized, though they would have to carry sedatives everywhere."

"Shinuze..." Naruto's face lit up and a big smile formed on his face. "You see, Tsunade-baa-chan?! There is a solution!"

"This is risky ..." Tsunade said, putting his hand on his chin and reflecting a little. "... But if you can convince the council that this is a good idea, I have nothing against it."

Naruto and Shizune exchanged a smile and then excused themselves. Tsunade can only get a bottle of hidden sake and feel glad to have arranged an afternoon for the alcohol, now that Shizune was not there to scold her.

The council had not received the visit from Shizune and Naruto very well. From what Naruto had heard, the old men wanted to restrain their movements, and they agreed with the vision of Danzo. That was certainly not a good first impression fo them. Shizune had seen Tsunade meetings with them, and she already understood the way she looked. Arriving and asking them to change their view was far too bold, and it was something they certainly would not do without gaining something in return.

"What brings you here in the council room?" Koharu asked, taking a sip of tea.

"We'd like to talk about Uchiha Sasuke's situation." Shizune said, before Naruto jumped to the part of releasing him.

"Again?" Homura asked, raising his eyebrows, a spark of irritation shining behind his glasses. "Four days in a row were not enough for you and that novice to make up your mind? I believe we have already made our position clear."

"You did, and yet Naruto-kun and I would like to discuss this." Shizune reported, and Naruto nodded his head.

"Oh?" Koharu set his tea cup down. "The young Uchiha died?"

"What- No!" Naruto assured her automatically.

"Then there's nothing to be changed."

Shizune and Naruto exchanged a look. They both knew that convincing the elders would not be easy.

"There's something to be changed, baa-san." Naruto replied, seriously. Shizune wanted to interrupt him and slap him for being so casual. They lost points, already. "Sasuke is living a hell in that hospital. A real hell. And I do not want this to continue like this, so I want to ask him to be released to live with me."

"Rejected." Homura said coldly. "You may have saved the world, but you are still a fool. The Uchiha is dangerous to Konoha, and we're doing him a favor by keeping him alive."

"We bring another possibility!" Shizune hurried. "We can hold the chakra with smaller seals, keep the bandages, leave Sakura-san and Naruto-kun with the responsibility of taking care of Sasuke in cases of emergency ..."

"It's risky." Koharu insisted, not losing her composure.

"You did not trust me when I was born, and here I am, are not you?" If you give Sasuke a chance, then ... "Naruto's voice faltered for a moment. "Then he'll prove himself worthy! He will prove himself loyal!"

"He, loyal or not, would bring no benefit to the Village. At the very least, it would foul up the name of Konoha." Homura answered causing Naruto to grit his teeth.

How could he convince them? What method is used to convince someone to do something? He thought of Sakura, one of the smartest people he knew. When she wanted him to do her some favor, what did she do? He gave me a "date" in return. It was not long before an idea came to Naruto's mind.

"If Sasuke commits _any_ act of violence against any citizen or ninja of Konoha for _any_ reason, he shall receive death penalty" The blonde spoke without thinking. That proposal seemed to attract the old, and shocked Shizune.

"And I assume you will not try to intervene, not Tsunade or your little friend." Koharu spoke in a tone that left no room for denial. Naruto only nodded. Koharu and Homura exchanged a look.

"Naruto ..." Shizune murmured worriedly next to him.

He understood why she was worried. He was, too, a little. That was really risky, and could literally cost Sasuke's life. But leaving him that way was equally out of the question, so in order to change things, risks had to be taken. No matter how big.

"I accept, in that case." Homura said, a smirk on his face.

Naruto smiled back, his trademark grin full of teeth. He would not regret it; That's _definitely_ the best choice to take.

* * *

 _So... A good decision or not? You probably know. Any ideas about what will happen? Feedback? Thanks for reading, and 'til next chapter!_


End file.
